The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-05-26
Random Thoughts.
j. H. N.

The question has been asked me by
some of the students of history, in
the Public Schools of this place,
whether or not the Standard Office
was damaged by Morgan's forces.
We will give point or two, that our
good friend Kinnison might impress
upon the young folks for the sake of
the truth of history: When Morgan's
men arrived, the paper had just been
issued, and these good Democrats get
ting hold of few copies were at once
struck with the popularity of it's doc
trines, considered from Democratic
standpoint, and concluded to get sat-
isfaction out of the concern. They
secured pick and picked holes in the
bed of the old hand-press. The "bed"
is the place where the type sits while
printing, and must needs be very
smooth. After spelling the old press,
the Democrats began to throw the
type out of the third-story window.
This however scared their horses, in
the street below, and some other
means had to be adopted for Destroy
ing the old concern. The next move
and one fully as effective-was to
pile the type in the floor and pour the
thick, tar-like printing ink on it, thus
making a mess that could only be
cleaned up with shovel. In short,
the Democratic soldiers just riddled
the old concern from to lizard"
After fixing things up to suit them,
these gentlemen began looking for
the Abolition editor who could talk so
disrespectfully of the "South'n Gen.
men, sah!" But, in spite of the efforts
Of certain local copperheads to the
contrary, he was not molested, per-
sonally. The writer of this was then
boy Of sixteen, and was away in the
army. There We're some four or five
able-bodied boys connected with the
publication Of the paper when the
war broke out, and every one Of them,
even to the ''devil-boy,' enlisted as
soon as he could get into the army.
So you see that there was nothing in
the history of the Office calculated to
inspire an abiding love for it in the
hearts and minds Of the men who
stole with Morgan. But that was the
only time the Standard Office was ever
broken down. Then the impudent
old thing came out Immediately, and
went along as usual.
Well, you will say that was a
rough way of treating a man. Yet,
friends, have met meaner men than
Morgan's, though by their excessive
meanness they were rendered harm
less. Then the same kind Of treat
ment Morgan accorded the office was
handed around" The orderly Ser
geant of the Company in which I
served was in the hospital at the time
Of the raid, and with number Of
convalescents was sent with Hobson's
men,. He has frequently described to
me the manner in which he used a
sledge-hammer in knocking down the
press of the Iron Valley Express, the
Rebel organ, of this place. Those
were exciting and dangerous times,
and man who proclaimed himself
Republican and an Abolitionist then,
had to take his life in his hands and
talk in plain terms to the enemy.
In the days just preceding the war,
a man who dared to proclaim himself
an Abolitionist was accused Of disloy-
atty, of being a dangerous enemy to
his country, and one who should be
ostracized, mobbed, tarred and feath-
cred. Yet the poor, weak creatures
who howted at the Abolitionists lived
to see the very ideas proclaimed by
these despised Abolitionists made the
sentiment Of the Nation.
The same class of fellows who
howled at the Abolitionists are> repre-
sented to-day by those who howl at
temp rance men. They are fellows
whose ideas are neither so wide nor
so deep as their mouths. By temper
ance men | do not speak of Third
Partyites, or men of any party in par
ticular. But it is the same old story.
If man dared, in those olden days,
to raise his voice against slavery, he
was solemnly warned that he would
ruin the church, the politics of the
country, the Nation itself-or, rather,
the Sovereign States of America"
The politicians-they who made
living by gouging the people-did not
want any idea based on righteousness,
on Gods word, to be dragged into
politics, because such an idea was sure
to grow, and to grow rapidly. The
same cry is raised now against the
doctrine that man ought to be above
a hog-that he ought to be sober and
industrious, and make his life a credit
to the community instead Of curse.
A man must not even agitate temper
ance as moral question, however far
removed from politics, lest he injure
some party. If he persists in serving
the Lord by advocating the up-build-
ing of the human race, and the per-
fecting of human character, the old
pro-siavery argument must be used
against him. Men calling themselves
respectable, even Christian, must get
! lam, Ia 4lo louol oE tho loxuoat o..oI q